It Was Always You
by SirenJunkie
Summary: Bosco and Faith meet up after not talking for a long time. When faced with a dangerous situation, will these old partners emerge unscathed? B/F Some language and violence to come.
1. A Rainy Manhattan Night

Disclaimer: I own nothing concerned with Third Watch.

This takes place after season six. It is somewhat of an AU, Faith is not with Det. Miller.

Chapter One: A Rainy Manhattan Night

The lights of the city flashed by, blurred by the heavy rain falling on the windshield. Detective Yokas sighed and rested her sweaty forehead against the cool glass of the passenger-side window. It had been a long shift, and already she was late to return home to Emily. She had promised her daughter that they would order food that night, and watch a movie. By the time Yokas got home, there would definitely be no time for a movie, and dinner would likely consist of whatever left-overs were left in the fridge.

Faith nodded to her partner, Detective Cartwright, as they pulled up in front of the house, the familiar greenlight lit up by the door, casting a greenish sheen on the wet pavement out front.

"I'll see you tomorrow Jack" she said with a tired smile.

"Absolutely Faith, have a good night." he replied as he wearily climbed from the driver's seat.

Faith had never imagined that working in the Major Cases department of the NYPD could be such a drain. She'd never been more tired in her life, that was for sure. Even back in the day when she was a beat cop. She walked towards the door, just as it swung open, barely missing getting the door in the face. A short, dark haired figure came barrelling out, walking like he clearly had a mission of some sort. He promptly walked right into the flustered Faith, nearly knocking her over. With a sigh, Faith recognized her old partner.

"Bosco? Where's the fire?"

"Faith?! I haven't seen you in months." he replied, clearly flustered by the meeting.

Since transferring to Major Cases for Faith, and Bed-sty for Bosco, there hadn't been much communication between the two of them. They worked very different schedules now, Faith mainly on days and Bosco still on the Third Watch. Not to mention following everything that had happened between them made communication somewhat awkward.

"Where ya headed, Bos?" She asked.

"Ummm... I was gunna go to Ma's bar. I just got a promotion." He said, looking down at his feet.

"You did!? That's fantastic Bos, where are you going?" She asked smiling at him broadly.

"I finally got ESU Faith." He said, and looked up at her. He didn't seem to be as happy as she would expect him to be. He'd been waiting for this for quite a long time.

"Congratulations, I'm really proud of you."

"You are?"

"Of course, how could I not be proud of my partner." She realized what she'd said as soon as it passed her lips. They weren't partners any more. They hadn't been for almost four years now.

"Uh. Right. You want a ride home? You look pretty beat." He said, looking out towards the street.

Normally, she would have chosen the quiet time she savoured on the subway ride to her apartment, but she was already late. What would it hurt to take a ride home from Bosco? She could deal with the awkward conversation for the 20 minutes it took to reach her place.

"Sure, why not? I promised Emily I'd be home hours ago. She must be worried. Just let me go inside and grab my stuff." She replied.

"I'll wait in the car." He said to her back as she retreated into the precinct.

Faith emerged from the doors ten minutes later, she had managed to brush most of the frizziness out of her damp blonde hair. Bosco admired the silhouette she made in the light cast from the station windows. He quickly shook the thought from his head, as she walked towards the idling car. She opened the door to the Mustang and climbed in beside him, giving him a small smile.

"Let's get out of here" She said softly.

Bosco nodded, and put the car into gear. They drove off down the street, heading towards Faith's apartment. Neither of them said a word, they couldn't think of anything to say that would fit.

As they neared Faith's apartment, Bosco turned and instead headed down towards the river.

"Where are you going Bos?" Faith asked him quietly.

"I thought maybe we could talk." He said, staring grimly at the road ahead.

She turned to study the man in the driver's seat. He looked a lot older than she remembered. There were wrinkles on his forehead that she hadn't remembered being there before. His blue-grey eyes looked more grey now. Like someone had washed the sparkle out them. She wondered to herself when this had happened. She silently cursed herself for now staying in touch. Maybe she could have helped. It certainly looked like he needed help, that was for sure. Her eyes travelled down his cheek to the very faint scar below his eye. She shuddered to remember that day, all it was in her mind now were shadow images. Shadow images and lots of blood. The taste of her partner's blood on her lips as she struggled to make keep him alive. That part at least was very vivid to her mind. She dreamt about it sometimes, waking up Emily with her screams. She shook the thought from her mind, and refocused her attention on the world outside her window.

Bosco noticed Faith shudder in the seat next to him, and watched her lay her head against the glass and stare blankly at the street. She looked awful, there were deep purple rings under her strikingly green eyes. He could always read what those eyes said, but right now they were vacant, and very tired. A strand of blonde hair fell across her cheek, and for some reason, he had the urge to brush it behind her ear. _Idiot._ He thought to himself. This is your old partner. Faith. What the hell are you thinking about?

He stopped at the red light at the intersection, still trying to get the thoughts out of his head. As he turned to look again, he suddenly heard breaking glass... Before he could look towards his breaking window, he felt cold metal against the side of his head.

"Don't move, or it will be the last thing you do."

To be continued...

Please R&R


	2. A Rusty Van and Some Duct Tape

It was Always You

Chapter 2: A Rusty Van and Some Duct Tape

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

"Don't move, or it will be the last thing you do." the voice said icily in Bosco's ear.

Bosco slowly moved his hands and put the car in park, before carefully rising them above his head. He kept his eyes locked on Faith.

"Get out of the car, Officer."

Bosco fumbled around the door, trying to find the door handle. Faith watched him nervously. Why was this happening? What did these men want from them? She didn't even notice a second man now stood by her door, and tapped on her window with the barrel of his gun. She jumped and whipped her head around to face her window. The hooded figure motioned for her to get out of the car. Turning to face Bosco, he nodded ever so slightly.

Faith slowly got out of the car, only to feel the man jam the gun into her back and began walking her towards a van parked behind Bosco's Mustang.

The taller of the two, leading Bosco, spoke again. "Well, Officer Boscorelli. You're pretty easy to follow. Just had to wait outside your precinct and you fell right into my lap. Who's your girlfriend, huh Boscorelli?"

"She's no one. Just an acquaintance." Bosco quickly lied.

"Well she came from the precinct house, so we better search her too." The taller man nodded to the short, stocky man who held his gun to Faith. "Johnny, search her for a weapon."

The taller man began his own search of Bosco, emptying his hip holster and the smaller one Bosco kept on his ankle.

Johnny quickly patted Faith down to her knees and up again. He reached inside her jacket pocket and pulled out her wallet. Faith was thankful she'd left her service gun in her purse on the floor of the car. "She's clear, Rico." Faith smiled inside as she thought,_Jag-off. He'd be in trouble if he did a search like that and he was a cop..._

Rico nodded, and turned back to Bosco. "Get in the van, Boscorelli" He shoved his gun at Bosco to emphasize his point. Bosco eyed the white, rusted utility van. He looked at Faith with what seemed to be an apology of some sort, and climbed into the van. Faith followed him, suddenly feeling very, very nervous.

Johnny quickly climbed into the back of the van, and pulled the rusty sliding door shut. Rico got into the driver's seat and fired up the old, decrepit vehicle. From the dirty rear windows, Faith could vaguely see Bosco's car still parked in the intersection as they sped off down the street. Johnny grabbed a roll of duct and pushed back his hood to allow him to see better.

"Wouldn't want you two to get any ideas, huh?" He smirked at them, and began wrap duct tape around Bosco's wrists.

Without warning, Bosco jerked his foot upwards, catching Johnny in the stomach and sent him crashing against the side of the van. Faith barely could tell what was happening, but Johnny quickly sprang back to catch Bosco in the temple with a left-hook. Faith winced, it was a pretty hard hit. Bosco slumped down a little, but managed to stay awake. Faith noticed a trickle of blood in his hair-line and longed to wipe it off her partner.

"Bad idea Bosco... Now I know enough to tape your feet too." Johnny said with a sneer.

Johnny finished up with Bosco's feet and crawled over next to Faith. She allowed herself to look scared and innocent. Better to throw him off-guard for now, he might only tape her hands. She studied him carefully as he ravelled the tape haphazardly around her wrists. He was young, probably about 25 or so, with dark black hair and dark brown eyes. He was Latino, and had a strong accent, and he was even shorter than Bosco. He looked to be very well muscled as well. He finished his task and took a closer look at Faith.

"Huh. You're a hottie. Maybe we can have fun later." He said with a sickening smile.

Rico whipped his head around, "Get the hell up here, you jack-ass" he demanded.

Johnny gave Faith one last smile, and climbed up to the passenger seat, making sure he kicked Bosco in the legs on his way past.

Johnny settled down in the passenger seat, and pulled Faith's wallet from his jacket pocket. "Let's see what we have in here," he said as he began to rifle through it. "Hey, Rico. Looks like we got ourselves and Officer Boscorelli AND a Detective Yokas on our hands."

Rico looked into the rear-view mirror and smiled. "No kiddin'? How lucky for us." His eyes glinted dangerously. Bosco almost shuddered. Something was not right with this jag-off. He got a bad vibe. This guy was dangerous. Really dangerous.

Johnny was pre-occupied with Faith's wallet, she watched him pocket the two twenty dollar bills she had. She carefully leaned closer to Bosco, and whispered "Are you okay!? What do they want from you Bos?" She leaned a little closer to examine his cut and the area around his eye that had begun to swell.

"I'll be alright Faith, I have no idea what they want though," he replied softly. "They'll tell us eventually."

Faith sat back against the side of the van, and studied Rico as he drove the van through the busy Manhattan streets. He had a long silvery scar on the same cheek as Bosco did, but it stood out more prominently against his darker skin. He was tall, and he moved softly and smoothly, almost like a cat. He probably had some kind of fight training. Faith wondered when she had become so observant. Must be a detective thing. _What the hell could he want with Bosco?_

Bosco had lost track of where they were headed and they had been driving for about 25 minutes now, but he noticed out the back window that they were now surrounded by warehouses. Most of them seemed to be abandoned, and there were very few people around. This was not good news.

Rico steered the van down a dark alley, to a smaller warehouse that was invisible from the street. He slammed on the breaks so hard, Faith fell right onto Bosco. She struggled to get up without her hands. "Sorry Bos." She whispered as she wiggled off his lap.

He gave her a small smile, and didn't say anything. Johnny yanked open the side door, and Rico appeared beside him, carrying a knife in his hands. Faith quickly drew in her breath as the knife flashed through the air towards Bosco. She almost screamed, but she noticed then that Rico had only cut the tape around Bosco's feet. She let out a small sigh of relief.

"You kick anyone again and I'll cut off one of her fingers, you got me, Boscorelli?"

Bosco said nothing, and allowed Johnny to yank him from the van and stand him up on the pavement. Rico grabbed Faith by the hair, and pulled her from the van also. She bit the inside of her lip and made it bleed. She wasn't going to make a sound. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Bosco shifted from foot to foot, his blood boiling. Nobody grabbed his partner's hair like that. This jag-off was going to pay, some way or another.

"Alright Officer, Detective, after you," Rico said mockingly, and pointed his gun towards the doorway of the abandoned warehouse. Faith tried not to grimace as two rats ran out the door he had pointed to and headed towards the nearest dumpster.

Bosco glanced at Faith quickly, and slowly led the way into the dark building.

To be continued...

Please R&R


	3. Tell us a Story, Officer

It was Always You

Chapter 3: Tell us a Story, Officer.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story.

A/N: Sorry the chapters are so short. I have limited time in my student schedule!

Faith squinted as her eyes became accustomed to the dark, dingy atmosphere within the warehouse. She kept close to Bosco, and kept a close eye out for more rats. _He must be uncomfortable_, thought Faith, looking at her partner. It was really dark in here.

Suddenly the room lit up as Rico snapped on the old overhead lights. Very few of them worked, but it provided some light. Bosco watched Faith wince as several rats scurried away from the light.

Rico turned to face them, "Officers, take a seat please." He pointed towards an old crate in the middle of the room. Faith gingerly sat down and gave Bosco a look. _I'm scared_ she pleaded with her green eyes. A million thoughts ran through her head, her children, but strangely, most of them were of Bosco. She was more scared for him than anything else. She didn't think she could stand seeing him being hurt again.

Bosco read the fear in his partner's eyes, and it made his heart ache. His face softened as he looked at her. _Don't worry. I've always got your back. We'll get out of this_. He was glad to notice some of the fear left her eyes. He almost smiled. Somethings never changed.

"If you two are done, I'd really love to tell you two why you're here." Rico said, studying them both.

"Let her go man. You clearly want me." Bosco said, trying to keep his cool.

"Well, I thought about it. But it seems to me, _Officer_ that the best way to get through to you is with this pretty little detective," Rico commented. "She could still be useful to me."

Johnny settled down across the warehouse on top of a old skid of dirty, unidentifiable bags, and lit a smoke. He peered out the large broken windows, clearly unconcerned with the goings on around him.

Rico gave Bosco an evil grin. "Now Boscorelli, I want you to tell this lady all about a case you had involving a kid named Joe Fedrigo." Realization hit Bosco like a lightning strike.

"_You're_ Rico Fedrigo?!" He asked, staring at Rico, mouth agape. Faith's mouth also fell open. This guy was wanted in almost every State in the country. He had connections to 23 bank robberies in the last 2 years. Faith was certain the FBI was after this guy, and here they were, in a warehouse with one of the most notorious criminals in the United States of America. His last heist had resulted in the death of two cops that had chased him in a squad car. Faith struggled to maintain her composure.

Johnny was watching Faith, and noted the change in her expression. "Hey Rico, look. Even the hot-ass detective knows you." He scoffed.

"That's right officers, I am that Rico. But I believe Boscorelli was about to tell us a story."

"What is he talking about Bosco?" Faith asked carefully.

"It was a local kid. Joe he was called." Bosco sighed, rubbing his forehead on his taped up hands before continuing. "He was about 14, and had gotten his hands on a piece. So he was going around to local convenience stores and robbing the tills at gun-point. A couple of guys from the 79 went after him, and one of them got shot. He was on the run when me and Moore got the call." Bosco looked at the ground and swallowed. Faith could tell this was difficult for him. Rico watched him sharply. "We cornered him in an alley off Arthur, just down from the old precinct." Bosco lifted his eyes from the floor to look at Faith. He looked frantic, and upset. "I tried to talk him out of it, I swear I did. I didn't want to hurt him, he was just a kid." Faith's heart panged. She knew how this story ended, she'd heard about it. She didn't know that the officer involved was Bosco though. "He shot at my partner. So I shot him. He died in the ambulance." He finished, and dropped his gaze back to the dusty cement floor.

Rico moved towards Bosco, and lowered his face within an inch of Bosco's anguished face. "That's right Officer. You capped my little brother." Bosco looked up into Rico's angry eyes, and felt the cold metal of a gun barrel press into his temple.

"Now I'm gunna cap you."

To be continued...


	4. A Shot in the Dark

It was Always You

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot. And this applies to every subsequent chapter!

**A/N**: I coulda made this chapter longer...but I like leaving it at the suspenseful moments. Lovin' your reviews, keep em coming...it inspires me to continue!

Chapter 4: A Shot in the Dark...

Bosco closed his eyes. This was it. Game over. Nothing moved in the dank warehouse, not even the rats. Rico took the safety off the gun with a deafening click. Bosco opened his eyes to face him down, better to have his eyes open. He noticed a lightning flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.

"I'd move the gun if I were you." Faith's voice rang out in the silence.

Bosco opened his eyes and whipped around to glance at Faith, who now had a gun pointed directly at Rico.

"And if you take another step Johnny, I'll shoot your friend. Now move the gun AWAY from my PARTNER!" She yelled at Rico, her gun shaking slightly in her grip.

"I thought you fucking SEARCHED her Johnny." Rico hissed, not moving his eyes from Faith, gun clenched in her duct taped hands. "And where the fuck is your gun? Take her out, you fool!"

Johnny just watched the situation, apparently lost for words.

Faith smiled smugly. "You see Rico, I've learned that you've gotta be real careful who you pick to have your back. Your partner can be the difference between life and death." She locked eyes with Bosco, who returned her smile shakily. "And what I've also learned is your partner is an idiot. He didn't seem to think I could have an ankle holster. And he also seemed to think it would be a good idea to put his gun down next to his seat in the van and leave it there, because he was too busy stealing from my wallet."

"You don't have to tell me he's a dumbass, detective," Rico sniped. "I already knew that." He glanced at Bosco, and back at Faith. "Now what are you gunna do? Shoot me? You'd have to make it a good one to make sure I don't shoot your partner."

Faith wanted to keep him talking, keep him distracted. She needed a plan, and fast. She didn't want him to decide that he should take Bosco out and take his chances. "You might be surprised at my aim, Rico. I had a great teacher." She replied, but kept her eyes on Bosco. She stared him down intensely. She desperately hoped that he could still understand what she was trying to tell him.

Bosco stared back at those green eyes he knew so well. He tried not to smile as he caught on. With a flick of eye movement he let her know he was ready. It was suddenly like no time had passed since the days of 55-David. _Goddamn_. Bosco thought. _My partner is one in a million._

Bosco waited for it. The signal. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, so loud, he was almost sure Rico would be able to hear it. Bosco wasn't scared. The only time he could remember being scared was that day in Noble's hotel room. Probably because it was Faith on the line...when all of a sudden, Rico grabbed for Bosco's throat and sprang around behind him, using Bosco as a shield. _Well this certainly makes things more interesting... _Bosco thought to himself grimly.

Rico began to laugh. "Try to get me now Detective!! Only a lunatic would try a shot like this." Rico laughed harder as he saw Faith visibly waver.

Faith flicked her eyes back towards Bosco. _Don't worry. You've got this, I trust you. Just squeeze._ Bosco tried to tell her. Her grip steadied once again and moved her finger back to the trigger.

Bosco closed his eyes as the shot rang out.

To Be Continued...

I'm so evil, aren't I?


	5. You Gotta Have Faith

It was Always You

Chapter 5: You Gotta Have Faith

A/N: Sorry for the last cliffhanger! Let's see if I can make this one a little bit longer... You ready? We last so our heroes in a stand-off at gunpoint...

Faith flicked her eyes back towards Bosco. _Don't worry. You've got this, I trust you. Just squeeze._ Bosco tried to tell her. Her grip steadied once again and she moved her finger back to the trigger.

Bosco closed his eyes as the shot rang out.

Bosco's eyes shot open, it felt like he couldn't breathe. For a moment, Rico's arm cut-off his air and then he was falling backwards. The now dead-weight of the bank-robber pulled Bosco to the dusty floor. Bosco scrambled to disengage himself from Rico's grip, and rolled to the side. He grimaced as he saw the bloody, pulverized remains of Rico's face. He sat up to see Faith, gun still drawn, looking quite shocked she that had actually made the shot.

Faith lowered the gun and smiled at Bosco. Bosco's eyes all of sudden showed a flicker of terror, he raised his hands and pointed behind her, "FAITH! Look..." he began, when lightning pain arced up Faith's side.

The gun fell out of Faith's hands and clattered to the floor, as she collapsed on her side. Faith gasped as pain shot through her again, but she managed to roll over onto her back. Johnny was standing over her with a piece of pipe, and he raised it above his head to bring it back down smashing into her chest this time. Faith would have screamed, but she couldn't seem to catch her breath.

Bosco leapt into action, frantically searching through the rubble on the warehouse floor for Rico's gun. His hands hit the cold steel barrel just as Johnny raised the pipe up for his fourth hit to Faith, who was now moaning in pain. Bosco got to his knees and levelled the gun at Johnny's back. Compensating for his vision, Bosco double-checked his aim, and emptied the entire clip into Johnny. The small man tumbled to the ground, landing on top of Faith, and the pipe clattered onto the ground. Bosco jumped to his feet, and immediately searched Rico for his knife. Finding it Bosco went to work best he could, trying to slice the duct tape off his wrists so he could help Faith. _Oh God Faith... Hold on._ Bosco thought to himself. He heard her groan and turned his head towards her. The knife slipped briefly and bit into the palm of his left hand. He cursed silently and focused again on cutting the tape.

When his hands were free, Bosco ran to Faith's side. He pushed the small man off her and gently placed her head in his lap.

"B-Boz.." Faith struggled to say his name, as she gasped to breathe.

"Shhh. Faith, don't talk. I gotta find an ambulance!" he replied, and looked at her face. Blood was forming at the edge of her mouth. This was bad, he needed help right now.

Bosco glanced around the warehouse frantically, trying to figure out what to do now. He didn't even know where they were to call an ambulance here. He quickly ran his hands over his jacket pockets, and then his jeans. "Fuck..." he muttered to himself as he realized he had left his cell phone sitting in the cup-holder in his Mustang. "Faith, I'll be right back, I swear. I gotta find a phone. I'll be right back. Okay?" He said, looking into her scared eyes. She nodded weakly, and grabbed his hand giving it a squeeze. She had put some pressure on his cut hand, but he didn't care. "You'll be okay Faith. I'll make sure of it." He gently put her head back onto to the floor and got to his feet. He took off his jacket and quickly rolled it into a ball. He lifted her head again and place his jacket underneath her head, and gave her another encouraging smile.

Bosco moved towards Johnny and quickly patted him down trying to find a cell phone. Having no luck, he tried Rico. Neither of them had a phone on them. Bosco looked again at Faith. "Faith, I'll be back as soon as I can. You hang in there!" He yelled over his shoulder as he headed out the door of the warehouse.

The night air was cold and clean compared to the dust in the warehouse, and the rats scattered away from Bosco's pounding feet. He approached the street in an all out sprint, just in time to see an older man driving a brown Ford pickup truck. The breaks squealed as the driver tried to avoid running-down the crazed looking man who had suddenly appeared in front of him. The driver rolled down his window as Bosco ran to the driver's side of the truck.

"Jay-sus, sonny. That's a good way to git hit you know!!" The man declared, giving Bosco an accusatory stare.

"I know! I need a phone though! Now, I need to call an ambulance. She's hurt, and I can't let anything happen to her. I need to call her kids. I need the police, but I REALLY need an ambulance!" Bosco all but screamed, as he clutched the side of the truck door, his knuckles turning white.

The driver was somewhat shocked by Bosco's tirade, but rummaged around in his truck until he produced a large cell phone and passed it out the window to Bosco. Bosco stared at the phone for a moment, the phone was about the size of a brick and probably as old as he was. Shaking himself, Bosco dialed 9-1-1 and put the phone to his ear.

"My name is Officer Maurice Boscorelli, with the NYPD, shield number 42015. I need paramedics and police here NOW." He stated, slightly regaining his composure.

"Yes Officer, and what is your situation and exactly where is here?" The dispatcher queried.

"Where are we?!" Bosco snapped at the slightly stunned driver.

The poor man rattled off the nearest intersection, and Bosco repeated it back to the operator. He then told her about Faith and the two dead men before snapping the cell-phone shut. He passed it back to the driver. "Listen, when the paramedics get here, you lead them to that warehouse back there, okay?" Bosco told the driver as he pointed towards the warehouse partly hidden in the shadows of the larger warehouses. "I'm going to go back to Faith!" He shouted at the driver and sprinted back towards the warehouse door.

Bosco reached the warehouse door and pushed it open, leaving a bloody patch on the door frame. Bosco quickly examined his cut hand, to see that it was still bleeding sluggishly. No time for that, Faith was in more trouble than him.

He crossed the warehouse floor quickly, returning to his fallen partner's side. He gently returned her head to his lap. "I'm back Faith, the ambulance is coming." He said gently, as he reached with his uninjured hand to brush her hair out of her face, and he stroked her cheek as she struggled to breathe.

"Bos...I'm...scared. Glad..." she closed her eyes, clearly in pain "You're...ok..."

"I am thanks to you, Partner. That was quite a shot." He said, smiling at her.

"Good...teacher..." she replied, trying to smile. Some more blood welled up to her lips and trickled down her cheeks.

Bosco tried to ignore it, and held her a little more tightly. "A teacher you used to mock for carrying a second gun on his ankle!" He exclaimed. "Something about, I would explode if I fell over, huh? Since when do you keep a second gun, Detective?"

"Since...you...s..shot..in..hospital." She managed to reply, her breathing was even more laboured now, and there was more blood. Bosco was terrified, but tried to keep her distracted.

Against his better judgement, Bosco leaned forwards and gently placed his lips on her forehead. "I'm glad you had it, partner. You saved my life." He whispered against her cool, sweaty forehead. He kissed her a second time softly on her forehead and returned upright.

Faith smiled at him in between laboured breaths. As Bosco studied her, he saw she was becoming very pale. He quickly stripped off his knit sweater and placed it over her. Faith looked like she was about to say something, but before she could get the breath to do so, she began to close her eyes.

"Faith?" Bosco shook her ever so slightly. "Faith?! Don't do this Faith, stay with me Faith!" He pleaded. He slipped his hand into hers and squeezed. He heard the alternating hi-lo tones of the ambulance, and saw the lights through the dingy warehouse windows. "I'm right here, I won't leave you. Stay awake Faith, please, please stay with me. The paramedics are here! Don't do this to me Faith!" He hung onto her hand with all his might, pleading in his mind with any god who would listen to please let her be okay. He heard the warehouse door slam open as the paramedics came rushing in behind the driver of the truck.

Carlos and Grace appeared at Bosco's side and got to work. Bosco moved slightly aside to let them work, but kept his grip on Faith's now limp hand. Vaguely Bosco noticed the Police come through the door and mutter "Holy shit..." as they surveyed the scene in the warehouse.

"It looks like she's got a tension pneumo!" Carlos announced as Grace dug through the bags and removed a c-collar. "What happened to her, Bosco?" He asked. "Bosco?" He asked again, looking up at him. Bosco just continued to stare at Faith's white face. Carlos sighed and put his stethoscope to Faith's chest and listened. "Grace, you gotta get an airway, and then we gotta get her out of here fast!"

"Alright, just wait til I get the collar on!" She replied. She finished up with the collar and secured the velcro restraints.

As Carlos came running with the stretcher, Grace completed the tube and began to ventilate to help Faith breathe. An officer approached Bosco to ask him some questions, but hesitated when he saw the look on Bosco's face. He was staring intently at the Detective, and gripped her hand tightly, as if willing her to wake up and looking at him. Questions could wait until later, Bosco obviously was focused only on his old partner.

Carlos and Grace started to move Faith into the ambulance with Bosco right beside. He helped them lift her up and climbed in beside her. He wasn't going to let his partner out of his sight. Grace climbed in the back as well, and Carlos slammed the doors shut. He ran to the driver's side and quickly drove away from the warehouse.

Carlos glanced into the back of the bus, "How is she?" he asked Grace.

"Not good. Hurry up Carlos. She needs the ER now!" She replied. She looked at Bosco, who was almost as pale as Faith. "Bosco," she said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder, "What happened?"

"The asshole beat her a bunch of times with a pipe before I could shoot him." Bosco replied grimly. He reached up to wipe his face, and was rather surprised to find tears on his finger tips. He quickly wiped his face again, not wanting to cry yet. He had to be strong.

"That cut looks really bad, Bosco. You need to have a doctor look at it." Grace said, as she continued to squeeze the bag.

"I will. Just make sure she's alright." He said and looked down at her hand, hanging limply in his own. His throat constricted, _How did this happen_? He asked himself. He bit the inside of his cheek so hard it bled, attempting to distract his mind. He snapped his head up and leaned towards the front of the ambulance, "Aren't we there yet Nieto!?" he snapped.

"We were down by the Port Authority Bosco, we'll be about one more minute." Carlos replied, ignoring the angry tone in Bosco's voice. Carlos knew the other man must be in anguish. Yokas and Boscorelli had always been ridiculously close.

Carlos breathed a sigh of relief as Angel of Mercy hospital finally came into view. He quickly backed the ambulance into the bay and put the rig into park before flying out the door to help get Faith out.

Bosco kept muttering every prayer he knew under his breath as they wheeled Faith into the ER. _Please be okay. Please be okay. I don't want to be alive in a world without Faith. Please be okay._ He thought to himself.

They slowed as they approached the trauma room, and Nurse Proctor took Bosco bloody hand and gently peeled it off of Faith's. With her other hand she took Bosco's chin and made her look into her no-nonsense brown eyes. "We've got her from here Bosco. Let us work." She said and disappeared into the trauma room.

Bosco stood there, staring in the doors. Nurses and doctors rushed around him, but he continued to stare after his partner. Carlos and Grace came and stood next to him, watching the action behind the glass. Grace and Carlos both looked at Bosco's face. He looked like he was about to say something.

"Please, Faith." He whispered, and finally allowed himself to collapse in tears and exhaustion. Carlos and Grace grabbed him by either arm and led him to the waiting room.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Sorry if some of the medical stuff wasn't 100...I'm only a Geography student after all.. :) Wow, what a chapter! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Please R&R! I'll try to be speedy with the next one!


	6. And Then it Hit Me, Like Lightning

**It was Always You**

**Chapter 6: **And Then it Hit Me, Like Lightning

**A/N:** A little more descriptive, but I hope you like. It was inspired by a favourite author from my younger days...Sorry it took so much time, but i've been under some heavy stress from school!

Also, I've just created my Beta-reader profile. If any of you need someone to review your stories or give you help/suggestions, I'd be more than happy to help!

Bosco rubbed his bloodshot eyes. It felt like he was rubbing sand in them, they were so dry. He was somewhat ashamed of the fact that he'd been blubbering like a baby earlier. He was glad that Nieto and Finney's wife had cleared the room after they settled him in the nurses lounge and bandaged up his hand. He didn't really like looking weak in front of people, but that hardly mattered right now. All he could think about was Faith.

He leaned back in the faded old chair next to the coffee machine. He absentmindedly picked at the fraying green upholstery. The furniture in this room was old, and surprisingly comfortable. It was sort of like a room away from the sterile, unfriendly atmosphere that came from much of the rest of the hospital. To him it had always seemed like Mercy was designed for maximum efficiency, but not necessarily comfort. He was glad that he'd been allowed to sit here and wait for news on Faith. The last he'd heard was when Proctor had come in to tell him she was on her way up to surgery. She'd refused to comment any more on how Faith was. Following that, Bosco had called Emily on her cell-phone. He hated doing it when he had so little information for her, but he owed it to her kids to let them know what was going on. Emily had told Bosco she would call her Dad and go to his place. She had promised he'd drive her and Charlie to the hospital in the morning.

Bosco stood from the old green chair, and began to pace the small lounge again. Towards the coffee machine, turn. Back towards the doors, turn around again. He felt like he wanted to punch something. Patience wasn't exactly a Boscorelli virtue, that was for sure. He considered calling his mother, but then decided against it, it was 3 in the morning after all. He returned to the counter by the coffee machine, staring vacantly at the cupboard doors. The paint was green, like the furniture, and it was old and chipping off in most places. There were various posters taped to the doors in some places, many of them outlining hospital procedures and CPR protocol. Bosco was wondering to himself how much CPR was done in the nurse's lounge when the door opened with a loud creak behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin, he was so startled. He turned around to see a nurse he didn't know standing there. Proctor must have finished shift and went home.

The nurse was young, with her blonde hair pulled back into a French braid, and she wore pink scrubs. In her left hand was a hospital file folder. She had a splattering of freckles and a look in her eyes that clearly showed she meant business. Though her blue eyes were stern and no-nonsense, they were very pretty and framed by long dark lashes. Just the type of girl he'd make a pass at in different circumstances. This was definitely not the time for this, Faith was his main concern.

The nurse cleared her throat, "I'm Trish. Nurse Proctor told me to look in on you."

"Uh, thanks. I'm Bosco. Have you guys heard anything down here about the Detective brought in earlier?" Bosco asked the pretty young nurse.

"She just got out of surgery, Bosco," Trish began, looking down at her matching pink shoes. "She's stable for the time being, but the next little while may be difficult for her. We have no idea which way it will go from here. She was hurt pretty bad." Bosco sat back down in the chair by the counter, and put his head in his hands. This didn't sound like what he wanted to hear. Trish walked over and plopped down in a chair facing him. "Go home Bosco. She's sleeping right now, I can't let you up there any ways. I wish I could, but the older nurses are pretty tight with visitation hours. I promise you if anything changes, we'll call you. I'll make sure of it."

Bosco looked up and gave Trish a tired smile. "I dunno, I think I'd just rather stay here until she wakes up."

"I understand, but it's unlikely that anything will change before tomorrow. I promise will call you myself the instant something changes."

"Alright, I know when I'm being told, you remind me of my partner." Bosco replied, ignoring the sudden tightness in his throat at the thought of Faith. "Do you need my phone number?"

Trish flipped through the file, examining some pages. "You're Maurice Boscorelli, right?"

"Yeah, that's my full name."

"Apparently you're in her medical records as emergency contact." Trish said with a mischievous smile.

"No kidding.." Bosco was surprised at that. The old partner he barely talked to these days wanted him to be the one contacted in an emergency? He blushed slightly. "See you in the morning, Trish." He made his way towards the door that led out to the ER. He paused and turned to face Trish again, "Thanks."

"No problem Bosco, see you in the morning"

Bosco headed down the hall towards the nurse's station in the ER. He recognized the nurse Dayna behind the desk, and was about to ask her to call a cab for him when he was tapped on the shoulder. He turned around to see a NYPD detective. He sighed inwardly, he was in no mood to answer questions about the night's events. The badge on the detective's jacket read "Cartwright". The name sounded familiar.

"Can I help you, Detective?"

"Yeah, I need to ask you a few questions about what happened tonight at the warehouse. Particularly how my partner and her ex-partner stumbled on one of the most notorious bank-robbers in the country." Now Bosco remembered, Faith's new partner at Major Cases was a Detective Cartwright. He was fairly certain that the man's first name was Jack. He was a decent looking guy, about 6'2, wavy brown hair and intense, dark brown eyes.

"Sure, Detective. Can we sit down though? I'm pretty beat." Bosco replied, gesturing towards the benches at the end of the corridor.

"Whatever you need, Boscorelli. I'll try not to take too much of your time." Jack stated as he followed Bosco to the bench and sat down heavily.

Bosco quickly rattled off the details to evening, as Jack scribbled down the information in his well-worn, leather bound notebook. His face remained passive as Bosco told of Faith getting hurt. As Bosco finished up, Jack slipped his notebook into his pocket and looked at Bosco.

"I really hope she'll be okay, Bosco. She's a fantastic detective and a good friend of mine. Keep me updated, okay?" Jack seemed to be sincere, and Bosco could tell he was upset.

"Will do." Bosco got to his feet and offered his hand to Jack. Jack rose from the bench as well and shook Bosco's outstretched hand. Jack turned and walked down the hall and out the doors, towards the parking spaces reserved for RMPs.

Bosco was desperate to get out of the hospital and home to bed. He doubted he'd be able to sleep or anything, but he hated hospitals and we was tired of waiting around and pacing here. He wished Faith were here to calm him down, and tell him what to do. She always made him see things a little more clearly. Unfortunately, she was the one lying in the hospital bed, and here he was to dwell on his thoughts alone.

Bosco sighed, and headed back to the nurse's desk to request a taxi be called. He waited outside the side doors to the hospital for the taxi to pull up, staring at the traffic whip by. Finally, a yellow cab came to a halt in front of him, and he climbed in and told the driver his address. Bosco leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He was surprised how quickly they arrived at his building, rocking forward in his seat as the driver slammed on the breaks and demanded $4.90 as fare. Bosco paid him and climbed out of the cab onto the wet sidewalk in front of his apartment building.

This was a new building, he'd moved shortly after the 5-5 had burnt down so he could be closer to work and have a nicer place. As he walked to the main doors, he realized he had left the living room light on, as it shone onto his balcony that faced the street.

His fingers remembered the pattern of the door code, even though his mind was barely with him. His thoughts remained in that hospital room with Faith. He pulled open the doors and headed towards the stairs. He hoped his legs could get him all the way to the fourth floor, he was definitely exhausted. He began the climb, tightly gripping the railing and clomping his feet the whole way up. He didn't really give a damn if he woke someone up. They could take the hit considering the day he'd had. When he finally reached the landing on the fourth floor, he paused momentarily to regain his breath. Not as young as he used to be, and after being in the hospital so long after being shot definitely contributed something to his condition.

He continued down the familiar hallway to his apartment, 459. The door was dark, and made of heavy wood. It was a nice place, and since he had no one to really spend his money on, he'd thought he might as well live somewhere nice. He pulled his keys from his jacket pocket, and popped them in the lock. He noticed his car keys briefly, thinking to himself to call the precinct tomorrow to figure out where his car had been taken. He hand panged slightly where he'd been cut as he turned the key. Bosco hissed from the pain and slammed the door behind him in annoyance.

He entered the apartment and set the keys on the hallway table, and headed into the kitchen. Bosco pulled open the door to the fridge and surveyed the contents inside. A few bottles of Miller Genuine Draft, some milk that was most likely bad, an old pizza box, and few containers from Chinese take-out. He shook his head with a sigh and grabbed a bottle of beer before closing the fridge. He crossed the kitchen again and headed towards his balcony off the living room.

The night air was cool, it was only early May after all, and the air was still heavy with dampness that the earlier rain had left. The clouds had cleared off, and Bosco was able to make out a star or two beyond the light pollution from the big city. Bosco collapsed into his comfortable deck chair and propped his feet up on the balcony railing. He placed his beer on the table beside him, but didn't open it. He wasn't even sure he wanted it.

He put his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the cacophony of New York night sounds into his consciousness. Garbage cans knocked together in an alley nearby, the hissing sound of airbreaks on a city bus a few streets over. In the distance Bosco could make out the sounds of sirens. They got louder, the emergency vehicle was coming this way, Bosco opened his eyes in time to see the NYPD patrol car go speeding past. He closed his eyes again and let his thoughts drift.

He missed life in the patrol car with Faith. Those were the best times... The times when his job meant the most. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd do if something took a turn for the worse and she didn't make it. Sure he hadn't talked to her much in the past years, but she was always there in the back of his mind.

Bosco wasn't so sure he had a voice of reason of his own. Whenever he needed to slow down or think something through, he heard Faith's voice, remembered her advice, or simply thought of what she'd do in a situation like it. She'd definitely changed his life, made a lasting imprint, even though she wasn't always there to back him up these days.

She was so important to him. Just thinking now about losing her made it difficult to breathe, and he purposely slowed his breathing and forced himself to calm down. He cursed himself for not keeping in touch better. He realized that life in 55 David was always more meaningful because he'd had someone to share it with. At the end of the night he'd been able to drive her home, and even in silence they'd still be able to share their day. She was the only one that could understand, and the only one that witnessed his days.

He reached over to the side table, sitting up now, to grab his beer. He was a little worried about where this train of thought was taking him. Lately when his thoughts turned to Faith, he'd simply cut them off because it was easier. Simpler. But he realized he was onto something here. He took a swallow of beer, and placed it back on the table, noting that his hands were shaking.

Every night now he came to an empty apartment, flicked on the TV for a while, then went to bed. He had no one to really talk to, and nobody really understood him any ways. Not like Faith did.

Bosco sat forward with a start, his eyes flying open. His life only mattered when Faith was there to witness it, to live it with him. It was like a light came on all of a sudden. There was nothing he couldn't tell his old partner, and he'd let her drift away from him. When he got his promotion, when things had gone badly with the Fedrigo case, he'd only thought of telling her. Getting to his feet, he realized he had to talk to her now, and tell her how important she was, and how much he needed her to get better. To hell with visiting hours. This couldn't wait.

To Be Continued...


	7. I Needed To Tell You Something

**It Was Always You**

**Chapter 7: **I Needed to Tell You Something

**A/N:** To my most consistent reviewers, kimtom4eva and BreathlessFaith, Thank you for your support, and all you others who enjoyed and reviewed! Now, onto my next chapter! This is most likely the second last chapter! Enjoy!

Being a cop was a great way to learn things. For instance, Bosco happened to know that there was a side door on the West side of Mercy that didn't lock all the way. He also knew that this door led to a stairwell that was infrequently used because it was so out of the way. He had also learned in the duration of his career as a beat cop that the ICU was on the fourth floor, and this out-of-the-way stairwell led right up to the end of the ICU hallway, away from the nurse's station.

As Bosco approached the side door attached to the stairwell, he surveyed up and down the sidewalk to make sure no one was around to watch his actions. He smiled inwardly, thinking about how ironic it was that he was using his cop knowledge to essentially break into the hospital. At 4am no less. _Oh well._ He thought to himself. _I'm not hurtin' anything. _He grabbed the door-handle and gave it a quick, forceful pull to dislodge the faulty lock-catch mechanism. He felt the lock give under his hand, and the door swung open to an empty stairwell. Bosco quickly ascended the stairs, ducking down as he approached the fourth floor landing, avoiding the waist high window in the door to the hallway. He got close to the door and slowly rose up a little so he could see into the hallway. If he wasn't so distracted with Faith, he probably would have been humming the theme song to _Mission Impossible_ to himself. This wasn't the time for those antics though.

He quickly ducked down as he saw a nurse coming down the hallway towards the door carrying a tray with some pill containers on it. Bosco listened until he didn't hear footsteps in the hall anymore, and moved back up to look out into the hallway. It was clear. He made a silent wish that Faith would be in one of the rooms on this side of the hall, not down past the nurse's station. _Now or never._ Bosco thought. He placed his palms against the metal door and pushed it slowly open, keeping an eye on the hall. Bosco winced as the infrequently-used door creaked loudly. He whipped his vision towards the nurse's station, ready to head back down the stairs if one should appear. Fortunately, everything was all clear. Bosco could hear his pulse pounding in his ears as he took a couple quiet, careful steps down the corridor. He examined the names next to each room as he tip-toed by, _Henley, Greene, Price, Marquez, Sunley, Hammond..._ A peal of laughter snapped Bosco's attention back towards the Nurse's station. He was getting really close to the nurses, and there was no sign of a room labelled _Yokas_ yet.

Bosco decided to cross the hall to the side where the nurse's desk was closest. He squinted to see the room assignments just beyond the station. Of course, there it was, a door past the nursing station, the door with Faith's name next to it. _Well, this should be interesting._ Bosco thought, grimacing. Somehow, he had to get past the nurse's area and into that room. The desk was about waist height, and looked out towards the hallway. That basically left him with one option. He had to somehow get past the doorway without being seen, and crawl past the front of the desk. Bosco briefly wondered whether this was worth it, but quickly dismissed the thought, he had to talk to his partner, it couldn't wait. With another sigh, Bosco got down on his knees, and into the crawling position.

He slowly approached the doorway that led to the nurse's station and cautiously peeked his head around the corner. The nurses were gathered together around the coffee machine, filling up their mugs and laughing about something. Bosco heard one comment on how quiet it was on the floor tonight. Bosco recognized the nurse Trish, standing directly facing the doorway. Suddenly, she looked up from her coffee mug, and looked in his direction. He whipped his head back from the doorway, and held his breath, waiting for her to come around the corner and find him.

It never happened. He waited another ten seconds and peeked again, she was now talking animatedly with the nurse next to her, and no eyes were towards the door. Bosco took the opportunity, scrambling past the doorway as fast as his knees and hands could take him. He paused on the other side of the doorway, listening for the approach of a nurse, but it seemed like they were all still talking and laughing in the common area. Bosco couldn't believe his luck. He continued his crawl until he passed the full length of the desk. This was it. He looked up, he was right in front of Faith's door now. He carefully got to his feet, very aware of his proximity to the nurses. He placed his hand on the doorknob, turning it as gently as he could manage. The door swung open silently, and Bosco slipped into the room and shut the door behind him without a sound. Bosco leaned up against the door, and willed his heart to slow down a little. And he thought that clearing a building was nerve-wracking. It had nothing on sneaking past a set of strict, no-nonsense nurses! Talk about a rush.

Suddenly Bosco remembered why he was here, and looked over to the hospital bed. His breath caught in his throat as he saw his partner there, looking so pale and helpless, with tubes down her throat. He crossed the room to her bed-side and took her hand in his own. He looked up at her, and thought he saw her eyes flicker slightly as he squeezed her hand. He shook his head, she was most likely heavily sedated, there was no way she knew he was here.

"Hi Faith." he said simply. He realized he was shaking, and took a deep breath to steady himself. He gazed around the room as he attempted to collect his thoughts. He wasn't exactly sure how he should phrase what he wanted to say. _Oh hell, what does it matter anyways? She's unconscious!__It's not like she can reject you or yell at you. _Bosco told himself. It took one more look at her face to seal his confidence. He drew in another deep breath and began.

"I know you can't hear me or anything. I'm sorry for everything that happened tonight. I should have had your back better, like you had mine. You're always so good at takin' care of me...I guess I have some catch-up to do, huh? Bosco looked down at his hand in hers, before continuing. "I know I should be letting you get some rest and all that, but I needed to talk to you. It was really important. Important enough for me to essentially break into the hospital. I guess I've done worse though." Bosco chuckled to himself, and then quickly regained his composure. "The thing is, Faith, I needed to tell you something."

Bosco sat back a little, the fact she was unconscious was giving him confidence. It was like a wall somewhere within him had broken right open. _Here goes nothing._

"You need to get better. You need to get better for me. Because the thing is...well... the thing is that I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, Faith. I know you'll probably think that I'm delusional, or that I've never really truly loved anyone before...but I'm pretty certain about this one. It was always you Faith, the one that I loved I mean. It was always you takin' care of me, it was always you I went to with any problems. You're the one person I'd trust with my life, the one person I could tell anything to. Ever since that first time I met you at academy, It was always you being there, backing me up, being a part of my life somehow." Bosco looked up at that pretty face, admiring his best friend, "I'm sorry we fell outta touch, that was stupid of me. You're so much more than a partner to me, Faith. I need you, I need your advice everyday, I need you there to be a part of my life. I need you to wake up, so I can somehow get the courage to tell you this with your eyes open, when you can actually hear me and tell me..."

"So you think you're pretty smart, Officer?"

Bosco jumped straight up out of his chair, missing it on the way down, and consequently tumbling to the floor. He turned around, still sitting on the floor, to gaze up at Trish's amused face.

"Thought you could just crawl past my nursing station, unnoticed?"

Bosco winced. "Uhh...yeah, sorry about that." He swallowed, feeling the his cheeks go burning red with embarrassment. "I thought you didn't see me." He finished lamely.

"Nurses see everything, Boscorelli." She said with a smirk. "I was about to call you, before I saw you poking your head in the door like an idiot." Trish giggled slightly.

Bosco relaxed slightly, realizing she thought this was all pretty comical. "Okay, so sneaking in wasn't the best idea." He said, finally getting to his feet. "Hey. Wait a sec. You were going to call me? Why? What's wrong with her!?" He turned his eyes back towards Faith, trying to discern if she looked any sicker.

"Well, she seems to be doing better, actually, considering she's awake and everything." Trish replied looking at Bosco like he was a crazy.

"She's WHAT!?" Bosco asked, staring dumbly at the nurse.

"Awake. You know, conscious? I'm sure you noticed..." She stopped and gestured towards the bed.

Bosco slowly turned to face the bed, and to his shock, realized he was looking into a pair of very familiar green eyes.

To be continued...


	8. Say What You Need To Say

**It was Always You**

**Chapter 8: **Say What you Need to Say 

**A/N:** Wow. It's finally done! This has been rattling around in my brain for some time now, I've just been debating with myself how to get it out. I really hope you guys enjoyed my first chapter fic! Please review and let me know how you think it turned out. Thanks so much for reading!

Bosco was awakened abruptly by the sound of a door crashing open. He quickly lifted his head off the side of Faith's bed, where his face had been resting next to her hand.

"Oh shit!" came a voice from the doorway.

"Emily! Language!" said a second voice, with a sigh. Bosco turned to face the two Yokas children hovering in the doorway of the hospital room. 

Emily rolled her eyes at her younger brother, "You sound like Dad." She stated and walked over towards her mother's bed. 

Charlie ignored his sister, and walked over to Bosco's chair. "Hey Uncle B," he said, and surprised Bosco by wrapping his arms around Bosco's neck. Bosco smiled and hugged the boy back, secretly grateful for the comfort. 

"Hey Chuck," Bosco said softly, releasing his grip on the boy. He turned his attention to Emily. "Hi Em."

"Is she going to be okay, Bosco?" Emily asked, tearing her eyes away from her mother's pale face to look questioningly at Bosco.

"Well, she woke up for a little while last night, and the Doctor said that's a good sign. They have to wait a few days though before they can take the tubes out of her mouth so she can talk to us. They said she'll probably stay asleep for most of today though."

Emily just nodded, and reached up to her mother's face to brush away a spare piece of hair. Charlie sighed, and quickly went to work dragging a chair across the room to place next to Bosco. He plopped down in the chair and put his hand on his chin, apparently ready to stay for a while.

"Where's your Dad, Emily?" Bosco questioned, finally noting Fred's absence. 

Emily looked up at Bosco, as if she was considering something. Instead of answering his question she turned to Charlie. "Hey Charlie, You wanna go and get us some drinks down the hall? I bet you're thirsty." She said, offering her brother some coins. 

Charlie considered her offer for a moment before answering with an impish grin, "Only if I can have M&Ms and something to drink." 

"Fine, whatever." Charlie leapt from his chair, and trotted out the door, toting his handful of change. Emily returned her attention to Bosco, and regarded him with serious eyes before she answered his prior question. "He said he had spent enough time at Mom's bedside because of your handiwork." Her eyes flashed, the same kind of look Faith would give him when she was challenging him.

Bosco winced under her intense gaze and sharp words, but wasn't entirely surprised._ Certainly her mother's daughter."_Is that what you think Emily? That this is my fault?" He held his breath, apprehensive about what she might say.

Emily finally averted her gaze from Bosco's face and shrugged. "Not really, I guess. I know you care about my Mom, probably more than Dad. He's the one that left her, after all." She moved her hand down to Faith's hand and gripped her fingers, carefully avoiding her IV. "Besides, you probably blame yourself enough as it is."

Bosco stared at the girl, trying to ensure he didn't let his mouth fall open. _Where did that come from?_ He wondered, trying to regain his composure. He remembered talking to Faith before about how grown-up Emily was, but he hadn't expected these revelations. She must have been more angry at her Dad then anyone had imagined. Bosco snapped back to reality as Charlie returned to the room and dropped a Coke into his lap, before tossing a cream soda to Emily. "Thanks Charlie," he said, opening his drink and taking a sip.

"No problems, Uncle B." said the boy as he tore into his package of M&Ms and began arranging them according to colour in piles on his lap. After a second, Charlie scooped up the brown ones in his hand, and offered them to Bosco. "I don't like the brown ones." 

Bosco smiled slightly at the boy's silliness and accepted the chocolates. His attention returned to Faith as the three of them sat in silence, eating M&Ms and sipping their drinks. 

Bosco wondered for the millionth time if Faith had actually heard what he'd said. She'd smiled at him slightly, her eyes flickering as if trying to convey something, but for once, Bosco had been unable to discern their meaning. She'd gone back to sleep shortly after Trish's interruption. Luckily the nurses had let him stay the rest of the night, he wouldn't have slept at home anyways. He wanted to be here with his best friend. His best friend whom he'd told he was in love with. Bosco leaned back in his chair, and took a deep swig of his drink. It was going to be a long couple of days. 

The day passed slowly, and Faith remained asleep for all of it. Emily and Bosco took turns visiting the hospital cafeteria at mealtimes. Around supper-time, Emily's mobile phone rang, causing all three of them to jump from the noise in the otherwise quiet room. 

She flipped open her phone, "Hi Dad," She listened for another moment before replying. "Okay, we'll be down in a minute. Yep. Bye." She closed her phone and looked at Charlie. "We've gotta go. We have school tomorrow." She leaned over and kissed her Mother's forehead. 

Bosco was surprised. Of course, it was Sunday. His day off. It had seemed like everything had happened so long ago, but really it was less than 24 hours ago. "I promise you I'll call you if anything changes, guys. She'll be fine, she just needs to rest now." He said standing up from his chair and stretching out his tired muscles. 

"Okay Bosco," Emily said. "Take care, we'll be by after school tomorrow." She gave Bosco a quick hug, and Charlie followed. 

"Bye Uncle B!" Charlie said, and followed Emily out the door, he turned around as he reached the door. "Oh yeah. Bye Mom. Love you!" 

Bosco smiled and quickly settled himself back in his seat, and took hold of Faith's hand once more. He leaned back and allowed his eyes to close._Just for minute_. He thought to himself, as his thoughts got further and further away.

Trish was humming to herself as she walked down the hall, ready to start her night shift. She decided to check on the detective first. She pulled open the door, and smiled to herself. There was Bosco, fast asleep next to her, still clutching her hand. Trish quietly pulled the door shut, and continued down the hall.

Bosco woke up to something squeezing his hand. He sat up quickly, rubbing his dry eyes with his other hand, trying to clear his blurry vision. Once it cleared, he clicked in where he was, and looked down at his other hand, being gripped weakly by Faith. He quickly looked up to see her eyes open, blinking at him questioningly. "Hey! So you decided to wake up, partner." He smiled at her and returned her hand squeeze. "Don't try to talk" he warned "you still have tubes down your throat." She nodded slightly, and tightened her grip on his hand. "I think I know what you're asking...but, yes, you will be okay Faith." He smiled at her and rubbed his thumb across the top of her soft hand.

He was so happy she was awake. Maybe they could take the tubes out now. He felt slightly nervous at what she might have to say to him, but he was thankful that she'd at least be okay.

Dr. Robertson came into the room, face buried in Faith's chart. He looked up and smiled when he noticed his patient was awake. "Welcome back, Detective Yokas." he said. "I think it's about time to take out those tubes!" Faith smiled back at him nodding slightly as he reached her bedside. 

Bosco stood up and greeted the Doctor. "How long will it take, doc?" 

"Not too long, actually." Suddenly the Doctor wrinkled his nose, and directed his attention to Bosco. "Maybe you could run home and get a shower or something and by the time you get back, she'll be ready to do some talking." 

Bosco frowned, hoping the Doctor wasn't implying he smelled bad. Bosco directed his attention to Faith, concerned at leaving her alone. "Is that okay, Faith? I promise I won't be long." Faith nodded, a little too enthusiastic for his liking. "Okay, I get the message." Bosco muttered. "I have been sitting in the hospital for two days." 

Dr. Robertson hid a smile behind his hand as Bosco leaned over and gently kissed Faith on the forehead. "See you soon, Faith." Bosco headed towards the door. He paused briefly at the door-frame, holding on and looking at Faith longingly. The doctor laughed out-right as Faith lifted her hand and made a shooing motion with her hand. Bosco smiled, that was more like the Faith he knew, and finally left the room.

Dr. Robertson continued to chuckle as he checked Faith's monitors and IV bag. He looked up at her face, suddenly contemplative. "Quite a partner you've got there," he said slowly, and the smile returned to his face. "He must keep you awfully busy."

Faith just smiled. _You've got no idea, Doc._

_That afternoon..._

Faith sat up in bed, staring out her window at the afternoon sun. Her new room upstairs had a nicer decor than the one in the ICU, that was for sure. Her throat was on fire, like one of the worst throat infections she'd ever had. She gave the cup of ice chips she'd been given a disgusted look. She wanted a glass of water more than she wanted anything in her life. The doctor had told her she could have a drink later, but no solid foods for another day or two. 

She sighed, and wondered where Bosco was. She closed her eyes, and tried to arrange her thoughts. She remembered the first time she'd woken up, what Bosco had been saying... "...I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you Faith..." she had kept her eyes closed, her mind whirling at what it all meant. She was barely able to stay conscious, let alone think of how to deal with her old partner confessing his love for her.

Now, sitting here, she smiled to herself. She felt almost tingly at the thought. _Bosco, loving me. Who'd have thought it possible_. She'd always been close to her partner, sure. She thought back and a lot of things in her own life starting making sense. Her always being concerned about him, her backing him up without question. Helping him with Cruz. Hell, she was pretty certain she loved him back! She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about this before. She wondered what he'd say when he got back. Would he pretend it hadn't happened? God, she hoped not. She was quickly jerked from her thoughts to the sound of rustling by the door. _Speak of the devil._ She thought, observing Bosco leaning against the door-frame, grinning at her. 

"Hi," she said softly, not trusting her scratchy voice.

"It is so good to hear your voice." He said simply, walking across the room to sit down in the seat next to her bed. She smiled and placed her hand over top of his as he rested it on the bed-rail. He returned the smile, remembering how familiar this scene was. It was just like when he was in the hospital after the shooting, but this time it was Faith. He gripped her hand, trying not cry himself, he was so happy to be holding her hand. He was at a loss when it came to what to say to her next. He doubted he could say anything, his throat was so tight. He almost sighed as he thought to himself, _When did you become such a girl, Boscorelli?_

Faith giggled quietly as an introspective look came over Bosco's face.  
"Thanks for staying here with me Bos," she whispered, trying to ignore the soreness in her throat.

"Anything for the woman.." he stopped, looking away embarrassedly at what he had almost said, "...who is my partner." He finished, looking at her again, wondering why a disappointed look had replaced the happy shine in her eyes. The disappointment left her eyes as quickly as it had come, and she squeezed his hand and smiled. _God, she looks stunning,_ Bosco thought, admiring the way the sun fell on the golden streaks of her hair, practically lighting up the air around her head. Paired with those fiery light in those emerald-green eyes, Bosco couldn't speak, he could only stare.

Faith stared back at him, trying to tell what he was thinking. He'd never looked at her like this before, she was pretty certain now he had meant what he said that night. The question was, would he actually tell her again, now that he knew she could hear him for sure?

Bosco was torn. He desperately wanted her to know how he felt, on one hand his heart was bursting to tell her, for fear he'd never get another chance...but he was also scared. What if she rejected him? What if they could never be friends again? 

Faith maintained her eye contact, waiting it out. _Come on love, I know you can say it. You did it once already._ She put all the caring and all the feeling and understanding she had in her into her gaze. 

Bosco leaned towards her bed, drawn in by the magnetism of that stare. Was she saying what he thought she was? Did she know? Had she heard? He realized he was so close to her now, he could practically feel her breathing. She must be able to hear his pulse, it was pounding so heavily in his own ears. Bosco imagined this must be what like bungee jumping was like. Standing so close to the edge, too scared to step forward, but much to scared to take a step back and chicken out. The light in her eyes flooded him with warmth and tingles. He jumped. 

Or so to speak. He placed his lips gently on hers and kissed her. He felt slightly dizzy, and realized he had been holding his breath. As he slowly breathed out his nose, he felt her return his kiss with such tender sweetness, he almost forgot to breathe in. He reluctantly broke off the kiss, studying his best friend's expression. He smiled, she appeared to be as breathless as he was. "I love you Faith." He was surprised at himself, but at the same time glad he'd got it out in the open.

"I know." She replied with an ear-to-ear smile. "I heard you." She entwined her fingers in his, surprised to find his hands were shaking. 

"I thought you might have." He said, shaking his head. "You could have let me know you were awake though. I was worried about you." He ran his fingers through her golden hair, and caressed her cheek.

"I love you too Bos. I think somehow, it was always you."

And although her chest was burning, and her throat ached, none of it mattered much, because the feeling in heart made the rest of it insignificant. Looking again into the blue eyes she loved so much, she silently asked for another kiss. He happily complied.

_Later..._

Emily Yokas walked down the hall towards her mother's new room. She hoped her mom was awake, and talking. She was worried about her mother, and wanted her to come home, so she wouldn't have to stay at her dad's any more.

She yanked the headphones to her iPod out of her ears as she approached the door, and she was about to open the door when she saw inside. 

There, in the hospital bed was her mother. And not just her mother, but Bosco too. Bosco was sitting in the bed, and Faith was nestled in his lap, her face up against his chest. His chin rested on top of her blonde head, and clearly both of them were fast asleep. Fast asleep, but both smiling.

Emily stood there for a few more moments, admiring the picture they made together. She shook her head and before she turned to leave, she grinned.

"It was always 55-David."

The End


End file.
